The New England Patriots have been caught video taping the signal calls of the Jets D in their game this weekend. This is considered a "competitive violation" and can bring various penalties including the possibility of losing "several draft picks".

What ARE the rules? I figure all play calls on the field/court, audio or visual, in any sport are open to 'the public' during an event. Personally, I draw the line at electronic eaves-dropping. If the Pats had the aid of microphones or tuning in to radio frequencies between the Jets sideline and the upstairs booth...that ain't right in my book.

Mr. Subliminal: Sort of ironic timing for this story in pro sports considering the public's almost forgotten Donaghy issue.

they broke the letter of the law..... saying that every other team breaks the spirit of the law, and probably there are many others that are doing the same thing just arn't getting caught.

The Tuna said it already, if your smart your signals won't be figured out till the game is over and you change them up each game, sure they broke the law but give me a break its not a huge deal unless there going to go out get serious about every teams attempt to steal signals. why do college teams have there back up qb's giving fake calls, why do you see people trying to hide there calls.....

Let's see what the penalty is. That'll determine the seriousness of the infraction. They've been competitive for a long time. Hard for me to knock them when our home team is the Lions..................<<Brady

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has determined that the New England Patriots violated league rules Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets' coaches, according to league sources.

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The league also was reviewing a possible violation into the number of radio frequencies the Patriots were using during Sunday's game.

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This thing irritates me that the Patriots are cheating. I hope the entire league hates them now (ala Yankees). Just because you hate them, though, doesn't mean you're good enough to beat them...

Any penalty to the innocent players would be wrong. [Forfeit the game etc.]
Slam Bill B.
$.5M should get his attention.

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While I agree that the players on the Pats are more than likely innocent of wrong doing in this, the problem is that their opponents are also innocent, but are penalized by being at a competitive disadvantage in their games. If there were no victims in this, I think a fine would be sufficient, but I feel that in a case like this, assuming they clearly broke league rules, losing draft pick(s) would be a fair punishment.

The coach did this, more than likely, without the players knowledge.
This is why there will be a penalty. The Jets were the victim. Taking Draft picks hurts the fans too. [But they're never innocent]
Drill Belilcic only. If it was his idea.

It was for sure without the players' knowledge. Players switch between teams all the time. You can't have them taking that sort of knowledge out of the organization.

I can't believe they didn't use more of a hidden camera.

That is the point of signals though, right? So that the people trying to intercept them can't figure out what they are communicating.

Football is more like war than any other American sport, with the different tactical coordinators, the on-field general (QB), the complexity of the schemes, the opposing fronts, the overhead camera shots, the electronic communications, the ground attack, the aerial attack, and now the spying.

I understand that the Jets head coach, a former assistant to Bellichick, was the stooley. Sounds to me like he should be fined also. If he knew of this wrongdoing back during his tenure, and he didn't come forth then, that makes him an accomplice............. ...Mangini.........

I'd like to see the Patriots' ownership fined and the team should also lose draft picks. Basically, a message needs to be sent to the rest of the league. It's a shame the Pats fans will have to suffer (loss of draft picks) but they've had it pretty good for a long while now.

Is this a joke? It's alright to photograph every angle of every offensive play that a QB directs and have the info downloaded to a laptop or printed and ready for review before the QB can finish slugging some Gatoraid and sit down. He slaps on a headset and and participates in a conference call with coaches upstairs as they disect the last possesion.

So now it's illegal to corellate the sideline defensive signals with the legally obtained encyclopedia of realtime player movement.

Is this a joke? It's alright to photograph every angle of every offensive play that a QB directs and have the info downloaded to a laptop or printed and ready for review before the QB can finish slugging some Gatoraid and sit down. He slaps on a headset and and participates in a conference call with coaches upstairs as they disect the last possesion.

So now it's illegal to corellate the sideline defensive signals with the legally obtained encyclopedia of realtime player movement.

The League has fined Pats coach Bill Belichick the maximum $500,000 fine and the team an additional $250,000. The team will also forfeit their First Round draft pick in 2008 if they make the playoffs this year or their 2nd and 3rd round picks if they don't.

Intentionally breaking the rules of the sport is far from "much ado about nothing". The penalty imposed tonight sends a clear picture that cheating in the NFL will not be tolerated. The commissioner got it right on this one. Good for Goodell. I'm glad he penalized both the team and the coach.